This renewal application for the Center of Clinical Research Excellence (CCRE) at the University of Hawaii (UH) is submitted in response to NOT-RR-04-003 and RR-99-005. The John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) seeks to establish a center of research excellence in early human development that will 1) further augment and strengthen research capacity, 2) mentor junior investigators as they conduct meritorious preliminary research leading to successful competition for R- and P-series grants, 3) attract other investigators to complement the specific research area of early human development, and 4) contribute to reduction and elimination of health disparities in early human development in diverse ethnic groups in Hawaii, particularly Asians, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders. Three partners, including six JABSOM-affiliated entities (Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children, the Clinical Research Center, the Departments of Pediatrics and Obsetrics and Gynecology and Women's Health, the Institute for Biogenesis Research, and the Section on Molecular Endocrinology), two community organizations (The Area Health Education Centers and Waimanalo Health Center), and the University of Utah Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, have agreed to participate in collaborative efforts to establish a thematic CCRE center entitled the "Pacific Research Center for Early Human Development" (PRCEHD or Center). This Center will focus on mentoring junior investigators and developing innovative protocols designed to enhance research capacity at JABSOM to reduce and eliminate disparities in early human development. In turn, through new collaborations in translational research, the Center will strengthen JABSOM's position as an applicant for GCRC status, which is anticipated within the next six years.